The Barfield family, Arkansas sharecroppers, are heading west with their sons Jeffrey and Todd. In far West Texas their camp is attacked by Comanche raiders and the elder Barfields are killed and scalped. The younger boy, Todd, is taken captive by the Indians. The older son, Jeffrey, manages to hide and is rescued by the militia men.  Jeffrey is taken in by a home-steading family, while Todd is sold, for a rifle and gunpowder, to a Comanchero trader named January.

Both become caught up in the turbulence of the Civil War, which even in remote West Texas, the border country with New Mexico, pits Confederate sympathizers against Unionists. The brothers, separated by violence, are destined to be rejoined by violence.  Will they meet as friends or deadly enemies?

Praise

"Kelton’s writing is absolutely authentic, and he is a master at spinning that wildly expressive species of dusty idiom that makes good western writing so gratifying.  Add to that some stern, if flexible morality and tight plotting full of tense, finger-twitching action, and you have some outstanding western fare."  --Booklist on Texas Showdown   

"The author, a seven-time Spur Award winner, has created a story rich in historical context, character development and action."  --Tulsa World on Sons of Texas

About the Author(s)

Elmer Kelton

Elmer Kelton of San Angelo, Texas is a native Texan and author of 50 Western novels. He has won many awards for his work and has been recognized as the Greatest Western Writer of all time by the Western Writers of America, Inc. He is the author of Forge’s Texas Ranger series

photo: Jim Bean Professional Photography

Elmer Kelton's Website

Excerpt

Chapter One

 

North Texas, 1855

 

Jeffrey Barfield wondered how much farther Papa would continue to travel before he found a settle-down place that suited him. The family had left Arkansas by wagon two months ago and slowly picked their way across the eastern part of Texas, looking for land Papa would consider to be just right.

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